Content management system in web link

ABSTRACT

A content management system, wherein a series of websites connected via links is formed and whereby the revenue which the whole of the websites earned viewing fee, advertisement income etc. as sources are properly distributed to masters of the websites according to their respective rating of contribution calculated by the number of viewers etc. to their websites. The websites employ re-encryption technology. A founder who establishes an original website and affiliates establish websites below. Each affiliate provides a link to the website on the up-line. The linked websites are protected/managed by application of re-encryption technology and the number of viewers who have visited the websites and the frequency of viewing are accurately calculated to facilitate payment of secondary-use copyright royalties to secondary-users who process content as well as payment of copyright royalties to original authors.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a Content Management System in websitelinkage formed on the Internet.

BACKGROUND ART

It has been broadly practiced to connect a website by means of linkswith others' websites, in anticipation of an effect to increase thetraffic on the own website by calling viewers of others' websites.Examples of similar systems involving re-encryption technology can befound in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,272,635, 6,182,218, 6,128,605, 6,097,818,6,097,816, 6,081,794, 6,076,077, 6,069,952, 6,002,772, 5,974,141,5,901,339, 5,867,579, 5,848,158, 5,794,115, 5,740,246, 5,646,999,5,504,933, 6,141,753, 5,818,933. However, a business model that put sucha benefit into an economic profit and distributes it to each websiteaccording to their respective rating of contribution has never beendeveloped yet.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is about a system, wherein a series of websitesconnected via links is formed as a kind of Websites-Linked Intranet onthe Internet, and whereby the revenue which the whole Websites-LinkedIntranet earned viewing fee, advertisement income etc. as sources areproperly distributed to masters of websites according to theirrespective rating of contribution calculated by the number of visitors,frequency of views etc. to their websites.

To enable the above concept, the present invention employs re-encryptiontechnology.

Protection by re-encryption technology over the whole Websites-LinkedIntranet not only shuts out unauthorized accesses by third parties butalso prevents any attempt by once-authorized viewers to makeunauthorized copy of content or re-access the website by memorizing URLof the website the viewer has visited earlier.

In addition, since the present invention enables to return to asecondary-user of content a fair share of its contribution, it ispossible for an ordinary viewer to participate in the Websites-LinkedIntranet to improve on content and to earn a royalty of secondary-usecopyright.

As a result the Websites-Linked Intranet, with self-propagating addedvalues, generates a tremendous economic profit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the Websites-Linked Intranet.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for handlingoriginal copyrights by re-encryption technology.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for handling asecondary-use copyright by re-encryption technology.

L (xy-zw) indicates a link connecting website xy with website zw.

Ka: The “a-th” encryption key (common key) in sequential order ofgeneration.

Ka/Kb: Ka is a decryption key (common key) and Kb is a re-encryption key(common key).

Cij(Kc) indicates a content that creator ij encoded by the encryptionkey Kc.

Smn(Kd) indicates a processing scenario encrypted by creator mn by theencryption key Kd.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

This invention shall be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1.

First, a founder of a Websites-Linked Intranet establishes an originalwebsite01.

In order to manage the Websites-Linked Intranet, the founder sets up akey management server and installs a key management tool thereon.

The key management tool is composed of a key management program, a feecollection program and a CGI program, etc.

Affiliates to the Intranet establish their websites and will concludecontracts to be admitted a right to connect their websites to theoriginal website01 by means of links.

Primary affiliates establish websites 11, 12, 13 . . . .

Primary affiliates will, then, install re-encryption tools on theirterminals. A re-encryption tool is composed of a control program forreceiving and transmission of cipher keys, a control program fordecryption and re-encryption, etc.

While each website is to be established by an independent affiliate inprinciple, a plurality of websites may be established by a same person(or corporation).

Primary affiliates will connect each one of their websites 11, 12, 13 .. . via links L (01-11), L (01-12), L (01-13) . . . to the founder'soriginal website 01, respectively.

Similarly, secondary affiliates will establish their websites 21, 22, 23. . . on the primary affiliates' down-line, and connect their websitesvia links L (11-21), L (11-22), L (11-23) . . . .

In the same manner, new affiliates will join one after another on thedown-lines to establish their websites and connect them with thewebsites on the up-line via links respectively. As a result, a series ofwebsites propagates in a tree shape.

However, such links may not necessarily be uniformly stretched todown-line websites, and may, instead, be skipping a upper level websiteand immediately returns to the original website 01 as shown in the caseof L (21-01), or may be directed to websites on the same level as shownin the case of L (22-23). Links may also be stretched mutually providingconnection among websites.

In order to systematize a series of websites formed as mentioned aboveas a Websites-Linked Intranet and to protect interests of all affiliatescentering on the founder, the present invention employs re-encryptiontechnology.

The mechanism of the system shall hereinafter be described withreference to FIG. 2.

The following process is automatically controlled instantaneouslywithout any loads on viewers.

Further, since all history of demands for keys transmitted from viewerterminals to the key management server are recorded, a post audit can becarried out in case of an unfair practice.

First, a content maker 01 encrypts a content C01 with an encryption keyK1 (common key) and uploads it as C01(K1), and then deposits K1 into akey management server.

Next, when a viewer 11 downloads the content C01(K1) and demands K1 fromthe key management server for decryption thereof, the key managementtool charges a viewer fee in exchange of downloading of the cipherkey(decryption key) K1.

The moment when the viewer 11 decrypts C01(K1) by K1 to view, C01 willbe re-encrypted by K2 and will turn into C01(K2).

Thereafter, C01 will similarly be re-encrypted into C01(K3) and C01(K4)by K3 and K4 respectively.

Therefore, the Websites-Linked Intranet protected by re-encryptiontechnology not only shuts out unauthorized accesses by third parties butalso prevents any attempt by once-authorized viewers to commit suchunfair practices as mentioned below:

-   -   To make unauthorized copy of the content which the viewer viewed        legitimately earlier. Such practice is impossible because the        content has been immediately re-encrypted after view.    -   To make unauthorized access to the Websites-Linked Intranet        which the viewer accessed earlier legitimately. This is also        impossible because a re-encryption key has been replaced by a        new one each time.    -   To trespass upon a website of the Websites-Linked Intranet by        memorizing the URL of the website to which the viewer accessed        earlier legitimately. This practice is impossible because the        key is under control of founder's key management server.

Such being the structure of the system, the history of key demand from aviewer recorded on the founder's key management server can also be areliable source of an accurate record of the viewer's viewing behavior.

According to these data, the founder computes the number of visitors toeach website, frequency of views, etc. for assessment of theirrespective rating of contribution.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

An embodiment of practice of the present invention shall be describedwith reference to FIG. 3, wherein “divergent-collaboration” typerole-playing game (RPG)” is illustrated as an example.

First, a founder, namely a game software maker 01, creates an originalstory C01 and uploads it.

A space for links should be provided for to allow viewers' participationon a turning scene (where the story branches and develops) of the game.

A viewer 11 decrypts the original story C01(K1) by K1 and enjoys it.

While the viewer 11 may simply enjoy a given RPG, he can alsoparticipate as a creator 11 to create his own alternative story (whichis branching and developing from the original story).

In this case, the creator 11, after concluding a contract with thecontent maker 01 to register his own website, acquires a right toconnect his own website with the content maker 01's website via a link,and installs a re-encryption tool.

The creator 11 will connect the alternative story created on his/her ownvia a link L (01-11) with the turning scene of the original story C01which the game software maker 01 created.

The creator may process those characters and items which appeared in theoriginal story as materials, and may adopt them into components ofhis/her own alternative story.

In the above-mentioned case, the present invention employs re-encryptiontechnology so that the process for handling copyrights may be executedfairly and smoothly, too.

The mechanism of the process for handling a secondary-use copyright byre-encryption technology shall be described below.

First, a content maker 01 uploads an encrypted content C01(K1).

A viewer 11 becomes a creator 11 to create his/her own contents.

The creator 11 downloads K1 from the key management server and decryptsC01 (K1) in order to make secondary-use of C01.

At this moment, a royalty is paid to the content maker 01 by the creator11.

The creator 11, using the content C01 as a material, compounds/processesit with the content C11 which he/she created on his/her own into asecondary content with a higher added value.

The process of this composing/processing is filed as a processingscenario S11.

The creator 11, recognizing C11 as his/her original content and S11 assecondary content maid by him/her, encrypts each of them by K3 and K4respectively, and uploads them as C11(K3) and S11(K4).

Next, a mechanism of the process for handling a secondary-use copyrightshall be described by way of an example, wherein a second viewer 12,connecting his/her website via the link L (11-12) with the alternativestory which the creator 11 created, becomes a second creator 12 tocreate his/her alternative story on his/her own.

The second creator 12 downloads K4 in order to make secondary-use ofS11(K4) as a material.

At this moment, a royalty is paid by the second creator 12 to thecreator 11.

When S11(K4) gets decrypted, the processing scenario S11 starts todownload K2 and K3 automatically.

At this moment, royalties are paid to the content maker 01 and to thecreator 11.

S11 re-compounds C01 and C11 automatically.

Second creator 12, making secondary-use of the above-mentionedre-compounded content as a material, compounds/possesses it with C12which he/she created on his/her own, and makes the process file as aprocessing scenario S12.

Second creator 12, recognizing C12 as his/her original content and S12as secondary content maid by him/her, encrypts each of them by K8 and K9respectively, and uploads them.

When a third viewer 13 decrypts S12(K9), S12 starts to download K7 andK8 automatically.

At the above-mentioned moment, a royalty on C12 is paid by the thirdviewer 13 to the second creator 12 and part of the royalty is furtherpaid to the creator 11 as a charge of secondary-use of S11.

When S11(K7) gets decrypted, S11 starts to download K5 and K6automatically.

At the above-mentioned moment, part of the royalty which the secondcreator 12 received from the third viewer 13 is paid to the gamesoftware maker 01 and the creator 11 as charges of secondary-use of C01and C11, respectively.

The process for handling the secondary-use copyrights employingre-encryption technology is based on such a mechanism, therefore, evenif part of content is cut off and is made secondary-use of by others,the child-parent relationship of copyrights is inherited and theoriginal author's right will never be infringed.

Moreover, such a chained relationship continuing infinitely, any rightof a secondary-user in the middle will never be infringed.

Thus, the structure, wherein not only an original author's right butalso all the infinitely-chained secondary authors' rights are protected,getting new creators to join one after another, just like children andgrandchildren are born from a pair of parents, will form RPG softwarewith a huge tree-shaped branches. (It may not necessarily be a uniformlystructured-tree flowing from upper to the lower levels, but a moreflexible one enabling more complicated development of a story includingloops and warps.)

In addition, it will be a living RPG which does not stop propagatingitself every day, and become to be a very profound RPG that even a gamesoftware maker who planned the first creation of an original story cannot have a prevision of it.

For a viewer, it is RPG in which an uncertain strange drama is awaitingevery day, and is a new product which never be bored.

A benefit of the Websites-Linked Intranet resides in the marketmultiplication process by profits guidance peculiar to the Multi-LevelMarketing (MLM). In the same way that customers in a MLM system becomesales-promoters themselves to open new markets, viewers in the contentmanagement system of the Websites-Linked Intranet become creatorsthemselves to expand networks, too. Besides, unlike a so-called MLM, theeffect is synergistic because a product (=content) diversifies itsvariety.

In the present invention, wherein allowable secondary-use of content isencouraged, unlike simple diversification of content, value added toconstituent content itself is also increasing.

Such effect arises because creators do not simply compete with eachother in the creating content of their own independently but they createcontent with their more originality and creativity building upon thecontent which others created.

Moreover, in the present invention, since actual collection of thecharge of secondary-use is secured, added value is realized as economicprofit.

That is, upon sales of a content created by a secondary-user, a royaltywill be returned to the original author, also, whose content have beenused by the secondary-user as a material thereof.

The Websites-Linked Intranet, because of its nature of handlingintangible properties, has a comparative advantage over so-called MLM byeliminating physical distribution of products.

Since content are all transacted instantaneously on a network, variablecosts concerning their distribution can be approximated to almost zero.

Further, with minimum incremental capital investment and businessexpenses, marginal costs can be decreased geometrically.

Another side effect of the present invention is a function of recruitingnew creators. Since the Websites-Linked Intranet is opened to viewers,it is expected that a lot of would-be creators full of talents will beproduced out of many viewers in the general public.

1. A content management system, wherein a series of websites connectedvia links is formed, whereby revenues can be distributed by a founderwho established the uppermost website to masters of lower level websitesaccording to their respective rating records.
 2. A content managementsystem as set forth in claim 1, wherein a series of websites isprotected by re-encryption technology against losses by unfair practicesand/or unfair profits etc. caused by viewers and/or website masters etc.3. A content management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a seriesof websites is protected by re-encryption technology, wherein the systemis so designed to facilitate payment of secondary-use copyrightroyalties to secondary-users who process content as well as payment ofcopyright royalties to original authors.
 4. A content management systemcomprising: a top website; a lower website linked to the top website; afounder establishing the top website and mastering the lower website;and royalties, distributed by the founder to the lower website based ona rating record of the lower website.
 5. A content management system ofclaim 4, further comprising re-encryption technology protecting the topand lower website.
 6. A content management system of claim 4, furthercomprising: content disposed on the top and lower websites;secondary-users who process the content; a system to process copyrightroyalties from the secondary-users; and a system to pay content authorsthe copyright royalties.
 7. A method to manage content on linkedwebsites, comprising the steps of: connecting a top website to a lowerwebsite; recording data from the lower website; determining a ratingrecord based on the data; and distributing revenues to the lower websitebased on the rating record.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprisingthe step of protecting the top and lower website using re-encryptiontechnology.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:protecting the top and lower website using re-encryption technology;processing a payment of copyright royalties by secondary users of acontent on one of the top and the lower website; and paying thecopyright royalties to an author of the content.